The start of the 2020 NASCAR postseason is here. For the first time ever for NASCAR betting, the Cook Out Southern 500 odds will be hosting a playoff race for the NASCAR Cup Series.
This was already one of the Crown Jewels, but now that it not only has a postseason date, but kicks off the 10-race playoff, that makes winning Sunday's race even more important.
Covers Experts’ Auto Racing Advisor sizes up the NASCAR odds for and gives his favorite NASCAR predictions and betting picks for the Cook Out Southern 500, with the green flag dropping at 7:30 p.m. ET at Darlington Raceway.
NASCAR betting odds for Cook Out Southern 500
| Driver | Odds to win |
|---|---|
| Kevin Harvick | +325 |
| Denny Hamlin | +350 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +800 |
| Brad Keselowski | +900 |
| Kyle Busch | +1,100 |
| Chase Elliott | +1,300 |
| Joey Logano | +1,300 |
| Erik Jones | +1,400 |
| Ryan Blaney | +2,000 |
| Kurt Busch | +2,000 |
| Alex Bowman | +2,200 |
| Aric Almirola | +2,800 |
| Jimmie Johnson | +2,800 |
| William Byron | +3,300 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | +5,000 |
| Tyler Reddick | +5,000 |
| Clint Bowyer | +6,600 |
| Austin Dillon | +6,600 |
| Matt Kenseth | +6,600 |
| Christopher Bell | +8,000 |
| Cole Custer | +8,000 |
| Ryan Newman | +8,000 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings
Who will win the Cook Out Southern 500?
Favorites to Bet
Kevin Harvick (+325)
He won NASCAR's first race back during the pandemic at Darlington on May 17. Harvick was third in the second race and has eight consecutive Top-10 finishes on the track, including seven of them being inside of the Top 5.
He led 63 total laps here in 16 starts at Darlington with RCR and he's already led 687 in nine starts with SHR. He's won three of the last six races run and he has 11 Top-5 finishes in his last 13 starts overall.
Denny Hamlin (+350)
He won the second Darlington race back in May. Hamlin has six Top-10 finishes in his last seven "Lady in Black" starts, including five of them being in the Top 5. He's a three-time Darlington winner and also has three runner-ups there too. On the season, Hamlin has 11 Top 2s overall — and five in his last eight races run.
Brad Keselowski (+900)
A good outlier here. Keselowski has 18 Top-11 finishes in his last 20 races run, three of which were wins. The Team Penske driver finished fourth in the night race this past May and has three Top-5 finishes in his last four Darlington starts overall.
Kyle Busch (+1,100)
How fitting would it be if Busch ends his 26-race winless streak in the first playoff race? I mean, he won the last playoff race in Homestead last November, he was runner-up in the second May race at Darlington and he has two Top-3 finishes in his last three Darlington starts.
Furthermore, he has six Top-7 finishes in his last nine starts on the track dubbed "Too Tough To Tame."
Long shots to bet
Kurt Busch (+2,000)
He hasn't won a race in over a year, but Busch does have four Top-7 finishes in his last five Darlington starts, to go along with five in the last seven overall.
Alex Bowman (+2,200)
Worth a risk. He has one Top-5 finish since his runner-up on May 17. But, that second-place finish in May was here in Darlington.
Aric Almirola (+2,800)
Playoff drivers tend to win playoff races and this is a playoff contender. Almirola was 12th and seventh, respectively, at Darlington back in May.
Clint Bowyer (+6,600)
Worth a look. He finished sixth at Darlington back on May 17, then swept both stages in the second race before having issues. Watch out for him on Sunday night.
Betting Darlington Raceway
Darlington isn't a track that necessarily rewards track position: it's a comers and goers track. Three of the last four winners have come from outside of the Top 10 in terms of starting spots, while the last seven have come from outside of the Top 5.
But, this year's Southern 500 may be different since we've had two races run here before the annual Labor Day show. That's the first time in 16 years that we've had multiple races run on the 1.33-mile South Carolina oval, so these drivers have data to look back on from May.
That's why I'd stick to the favorites this weekend, and maybe sprinkle in a few sleepers — but don't go overboard. There's a reason Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin are good at Darlington and have been good on the season in general.
Stat to watch
Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick have combined to win 13 of the 26 races run this season, including 12 of the 22 during the pandemic. They swept both Darlington races this past May and have won four of the last eight on the Lady in Black overall.
